Didier Drogba's controversial Chelsea career appeared to be coming to a close last night after it emerged that he met Inter Milan technical director Marco Branca and football's 'Mr Fixit' Jorge Mendes.

Chelsea chief Luiz Felipe Scolari was furious when he learned the striker met Branca and Mendes, who is Inter coach Jose Mourinho's agent, in London on Monday night to discuss a transfer, according to reports in Italy.

Friends reunited? Former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho (left) may be about to take Didier Drogba to Inter Milan

Scolari, who was in a prickly mood before this evening's Champions League clash with Bordeaux at the Stade Chaban-Delmas, refused to back the striker after it emerged that he could be agitating for a move to Inter.

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The Chelsea manager said: 'I'm not sleeping with him and I'm not a policeman. Don't ask me where he was, I'm only the coach. Ask Peter Kenyon or Roman Abramovich.'

Details of Drogba's rendezvous at a Fulham restaurant came to light yesterday and a mischievous Mourinho did little to distance himself from the spectacular events in London.

The Inter coach, preparing for this evening's clash with Panathinaikos, said: 'I don't know if the meeting took place between my agent and Drogba. All I know is that I was with (Inter fitness coach) Rui Faria and our families having dinner.'

Chelsea's frustration with the injury-prone striker began when he was sent off in the Champions League Final against Manchester United and they were prepared to sell him in the summer. He earned a reprieve when Scolari arrived at Stamford Bridge, but the Chelsea manager has been angered by his increasingly erratic behaviour.

After scoring the opening goal in the Carling Cup tie against Burnley earlier this month, Drogba gave a one-fingered salute to the visiting supporters and threw a coin back into the crowd. He was fined a week's wages by the club and banned by the FA for three domestic matches.

Target: Lyon striker Karim Benzema

Drogba's contract expires in 2010 and the club have yet to indicate that they are prepared to extend his stay in London. He admitted in his autobiography that he flew to Milan for talks with Carlos Ancelotti in 2007, but the club refused to match Chelsea's £30million valuation. Now it appears that he wants to link up with his mentor Mourinho again.

Scolari added: 'It's coming up to Christmas and Christmas is for agents. They open up the world to say "I want him" and "he wants him" Maybe people will say 15 players come from Chelsea and 15 will leave.'

Drogba trained with his teammates last night and he is likely to make the starting line-up.

Nicolas Anelka's form has surprised Scolari, but the Chelsea striker may be forced on to the substitutes' bench in his native France this evening. Scolari added: It is not a problem for Anelka where he plays - I pick the team.'

It was a tetchy performance from Scolari, who is feeling the heat after losing so emphatically in Rome on November 4 and failing to disprove the belief that he cannot win a big game at his new club. He added: The team needs to understand that in the Champions League we play against the best teams in Europe and in the Premier League we play against A, B or C. In Europe, all the clubs we play are second or third in the league, but in England they are 15th or 17th.'

Roma were actually 17th when they destroyed Chelsea in the Olympic Stadium, causing mild panic among Chelsea's players as they prepare for a potentially tough tie against Laurent Blanc's improving side.

Bordeaux have recovered from their thumping 4-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in September and a 3-1 defeat at home to Roma to give themselves a fighting chance of qualifying for the second round.

They will move above Scolari's team if they win, leaving Chelsea with the task of needing a result against CFR Cluj on December 9.

Scolari warned: 'We had a chance to qualify against Roma. Bordeaux is the second chance. We do not expect to need a third chance. Roma were in crisis when we played them but they played a fantastic game against us. Maybe we have adapted to play better away from home in the Premier League rather than the Champions League.

'If we win, we get to play the second leg of the knockout phase at home. If we do not, then we will have to take whatever we get.

'Bordeaux are a good team and their position in the French league is not bad. They didn't start the competition well but they have a chance of qualifying now.'